Brooklyn to bid for DNC 2016

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that Brooklyn will make an official bid to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

“The progressive spirit of New York City has never been stronger or more vibrant than it is today,” the mayor said in a statement. “We believe that this spirit can energize and captivate both the Democratic Party and the nation.”

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New York City’s Madison Square Garden has held the Democratic National Convention several times in the past, most recently for former President Bill Clinton’s first nomination in 1992. The Garden also hosted the 2004 Republican National Convention for former President George W. Bush’s reelection convention.

The Democratic National Committee in April invited 15 cities, including New York, to submit formal bids for the 2016 convention. The other cities are Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Salt Lake City.

A potential selection of Brooklyn, a liberal borough in a liberal city, would signify a departure for the DNC. Democrats have held their summer conventions in swing states during the past two election cycles: Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2012 and Denver in 2008.

Brooklyn, which has never hosted the event, has a population of more than 2.5 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The mayor said that the Barclays Center, opened in 2012 as the home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, would host a potential convention.

De Blasio, who lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope, has been hailed as a favorite among liberals since his 2013 mayoral campaign, which highlighted affordable housing and income inequality.

In his pitch, de Blasio said New York City was “the safest big city in the country” and cited its “capacity to execute large, world-class events,” including the 2014 Super Bowl.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who also lives in Park Slope, endorsed Brooklyn as “the perfect spot” for the convention.

“Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center is the perfect spot for the Democratic National Convention — and not just because it’s in my home borough and I could walk there from my house,” the senator wrote in an email to POLITICO. “New York City is the center of the media universe, home to a diverse population from every state in our union, and is the cultural capital of the world, making it the ideal setting for the Democratic Party’s Convention. The venue sits atop a treasure trove of transportation options that can whisk attendees to and from the Big Apple’s limitless attractions and hotels. I couldn’t be more excited that New York City submitted their bid to make Barclays in Brooklyn the host of the 2016 Democratic National Convention.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office referred POLITICO to a letter of support he sent DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) on Wednesday.

“From September 11th to Superstorm Sandy, New Yorkers have always come together to build back stronger, smarter and better than ever before,” Cuomo said in the letter. “In the midst of the ongoing recovery from Sandy, hosting a convention here would showcase that New York spirit.”

Hillary Clinton, who would most likely be considered to be the front-runner if she chooses to run for president in 2016, served as a New York senator for eight years.